Concordia Lutheran Church The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 801 Beacon Lane Beulah, North Dakota Rev. Toby H. Heller, Pastor May 14, 2017 5 th Sunday of Easter We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Romans 6:9; John 14:23
DIVINE SERVICE Hymn of Invocation # 465 Setting One Confession & Absolution p. 151 Introit Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Kyrie p. 152 This is the Feast p. 155 Salutation & Collect p. 156 O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. First Reading: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60 (ESV) Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the
daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And
falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Gradual Christ has risen from the dead. God the Father has crowned him with glory and honor; He has given him dominion over the works of his hands, he has put all things under his feet. Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10 (ESV) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Alleluia p. 156 Holy Gospel: St. John 14:1-14 (ESV) [Jesus says] "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that
where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. Nicene Creed p. 158 Hymn of the Day # 526 Sermon Prayer of the Church Like Newborn Infants Offering The Chime Choir will ring How Great Thou Art during the gathering of our morning offerings. What Shall I Render p. 159 Service of the Sacrament p. 160 Distribution Hymns # 629, 644, 660 Thank the Lord p. 164 Post-Communion Collect p. 166 Benediction p. 166 Closing Hymn # 722
Today we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion in which we joyfully receive Christ s Body and Blood, under bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins. As we celebrate the Sacrament, we also give public witness that we are in complete agreement with the denomination s doctrinal teachings at whose altar we commune. Therefore, we ask that only communicant members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod commune with us. All guests are asked to talk to Rev. Heller before coming to the altar to receive the Sacrament. In our thoughts and prayers, Our sick & recovering: Tamara Bogo, Esther Graf (sister of Lori Kuschel), & Anna Pischel; Our mothers, for the life and blessings God gave us through them; For favorable weather, that all agricultural endeavors may result in an abundant harvest. Stewardship of Offerings and Attendance Attendance: 112 Offerings: $3,702.50 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. God has called us to be His own. He has chosen us out of love, out of mercy, out of sheer, divine joy. The Apostle says that God has done this that we may share in His glory and joy, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has made us His own. And truly, this is our delight! His joy brings joy in our hearts as well.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Welcome to worship in this season of Easter as we gather to rejoice that Christ has overcome death and the grave and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:55, 57). Alleluia! Visitors, please sign our guest book and worship with us again soon! On Mother s Day, we celebrate how our mothers confessed their Christian faith to us. How well it is for us to listen to the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther in the explanation of the 4th commandment: The perversity of the world God knows very well. By means of commandments, therefore, He reminds and impels everyone to consider what his parents have done for him. Then everybody recognizes that he has been nourished and nurtured by them when otherwise he would have perished a hundred times in his own filth. The wise men of old were right when they said God, parents, and teachers can never be sufficiently thanked and repaid, he who views the matter in this light will, without compulsion, give honor to his parents and esteem them as those through whom God has given his all blessings (Large Catechism). Thank You: Today is the last day of Sunday school for the spring. We would like to thank our teachers for their loving and dedicated service. The family of Concordia greatly appreciates your work! Potluck Recognition: Please join us next Sunday, May 21, 10:30 am to honor our high school graduates. Vacation Bible School: We are in need of a director for VBS. Please talk to Terence Schmidt or Pastor Heller if you are interested. The LYF has sold all the tubes of M&M s for the FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN fundraiser. The mobile pack will be in Beulah on August 26, 2017. If you so desire, please return the empty tubes filled with quarters by early August.
This Week at Concordia Sunday 8:30 am Divine Service 9:30 am Sunday School/Bible Class * Last day of Sunday School 11:00 am Worship @ Glen Ulllin Monday 6:30 pm Adult Instruction 7:00 pm Sarah Guld Tuesday 2:00 pm Bible Class Wednesday 7:30 pm Bell Practice Sunday 8:30 am Divine Service 9:30 am Bible Class 10:30 am Potluck Recognition 11:00 am Worship @ Glen Ullin Church Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:30 AM 12:30 PM Church: 873-4388 Parsonage: 873-4223 revheller@westriv.com concordiasecretary@westriv.com Website: www.concordiabeulah.org